Do you ever find yourself using the same few lures over and over again and feel like you are missing out by not experimenting more?  So far this year I have primarily used a swimbait, chatterbait, a couple different jigs, and a couple different Ned rigs.  Naturally, my boat is filled with everything a typical bass angler would use.  And while I have done well so far this year, I feel like I am missing out.  I know the easy answer is to force myself to use different baits but my default mode is to keep using what works for me which I have a high confidence in my ability to fish.  How say you?   

1 minute ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Do you ever find yourself using the same few lures over and over again and feel like you are missing out by not experimenting more?  

No, the fewer lures I'm using, the more dialed in I am.

If you're catching, what's the problem?

I have my favorites, but I don't hone in on using just a few.  I just seek what works for that outing. 

I think I have a pretty full varied arsenal.  About the only thing I don't use are those gigantic swimbaits.   

Depends on how you look at it. If you're catching fish, you're honing a presentation. If you're not, you're in a rut and wasting your time.

5 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

No, the fewer lures I'm using, the more dialed in I am.

This. The best days of fishing are usually when I have a few lures to put away at the end of the day. It's the days where I have 20 different things laying out that usually suck. Now rarely do I just grind out the whole day without at least trying one or two other things. I always "check the bite" so to speak. For example if I'm killing them on a moving bait and hit a stretch of no bites I might slow down with a worm or jig or something. Or even if I'm catching a bunch I might do the same to upsize my bite. 

I sometimes experiment, but after all these years, I stick with a few that work best. Through most of the season it's my plastic worms.

I have my go to lures all the time, but when they are not getting it done that is when I will try different options.

I would love to just need one or two baits, but the minute a presentation stops working, I'm throwing different things. Sounds to me like you're bored by your go-to lures.

Couldn't tell you how many times I held the same rod and reel for hours while the others just sat in the boat because I had confidence in the bait being thrown. 

About the time I'm ready to try a different bait or color, I catch a fish and that cost me at least another hour.

Doesn’t seem very junk fishy to me Junk Fisherman ?.

 

If you are talking about a single trip, ideally I would be dialed in to a handful of lures.  If you are talking about longer term, I switch a lot depending on conditions, seasons, cover/structure, pressure, etc.  I don’t have a flutter spoon or Carolina rig tied on now but I will soon.  It’s windy today so I would probably reach for a spinnerbait first but yesterday it was pretty calm and I used a chatterbait & swim jig.  If there was a lot of vegetation, I would consider ripping a lipless but if it was more wood I would probably try a squarebill.  Typically I have 8+ rods on the deck with a goal of getting to 4-5.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about Pro anglers is that they are masters of every lure known to mankind.

 

I reality they are extremely confident in 3-4 techniques, topwater, mid-depth & bottom contact. They spend their practice time finding areas that suit their strengths.

 

 

The less I have to change baits the better.  I take that to mean that I've found a pattern.

2 hours ago, Catt said:

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about Pro anglers is that they are masters of every lure known to mankind.

 

I reality they are extremely confident in 3-4 techniques, topwater, mid-depth & bottom contact. They spend their practice time finding areas that suit their strengths.

 

 

This is why the really good pros are so good at finding fish that suit their styles. Jason Christie left MLF and went back to bass and immediately won a tournament because fishing for 5 bigger bites instead of a lot of bites suits his style best and he caught them doing what he does best. 

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

5 bigger bites instead of a lot of bites suits his style best and he caught them doing what he does best. 

 

I live 30 minutes from the Sabine & 45 minutes from the Orange Texas boat launch.

 

Jason was way up north on the Sabine River, totally different bottom composition. Harder sandy bottom compared to softer muddier bottom. Different cover, up north more trees & laydowns, verses more vegetation down south.

 

Up north Jason was targeting Kentucky Spotted Bass with largemouth kickers.

 

No doubt Jason is a riverrat ?

I probably experiment too much.  I enjoy learning new things more than confirming old ideas.  I usually save my confidence baits for the last two or three hours if I haven't had much luck with what I have been throwing.  If nothing else, just to check to see if the fish are even biting that day.  Then again, I'm not tournament fishing.  

Nothing wrong with the same lures, unless you prefer to mix it up a bit.  I've seen people on here say, some days they just won't want a jig..... Are you sure?  Every week I wait for Bassmaster to publish the article of "top baits" for the previous weeks tournament- maybe it wasn't the winning bait, but there's always someone who did pretty good on a jig- ALWAYS.

I think everyone is basically saying the same thing...it’s really a difference between technique v. bait choice.  With crankbaits, in warmer water you may choose a squarebill or something with a more aggressive hunting action while in colder water it may be a shad rap or flat side with a tighter action or downsizing in the fall to better match the hatch.  I agree with Catt that most pro’s have a handful of preferences or styles but they are pretty diverse in those areas.

 

Edit:  I would also add that any pro that loves jig fishing will also have no hesitancy grabbing a t-rig, shakey head, etc.  If they love a spinnerbait, they will also be good with a swim jig, chatterbait, etc.  They may have one that is their go-to but they are very diverse.

2 hours ago, ajschn06 said:

Nothing wrong with the same lures, unless you prefer to mix it up a bit.  I've seen people on here say, some days they just won't want a jig..... Are you sure?  Every week I wait for Bassmaster to publish the article of "top baits" for the previous weeks tournament- maybe it wasn't the winning bait, but there's always someone who did pretty good on a jig- ALWAYS.

A jig is probably on every deck in a typical tournament (at least largemouth).  There is not a time when a jig can’t catch fish but it may not be the most efficient or effective way.  And they are not great search baits.  Remember, many of these tournaments allow pre-fishing so they have an idea of how the fish are positioning.

Generally I’ll start with a known producer I’m confident with. From there depending on the bite I will branch out. I’m newer to a lot of techniques so I welcome the practice to try new stuff and see which ones suit me. 
 

the tackle monkey has had me bad the last six months so I’m geared up to throw most things under the sun. Cant learn if you don’t try!

Like others have said, my opinion is first and foremost to find the fish you have the best chance of catching based on your gear and skills. Then maybe it boils down to just changing color or how you present your bait. I always start with the bait I have the most confidence in for the conditions I'm fishing and go form there.

We keep a whole boat full of baits, because once we we find the one bait that works. We work that bait.

Its like figuring out how to hit a home run off a pitcher and deciding to change bats. You just don’t do it.

4 hours ago, E-rude dude said:

We keep a whole boat full of baits, because once we we find the one bait that works. We work that bait.

Its like figuring out how to hit a home run off a pitcher and deciding to change bats. You just don’t do it.

Yup, It's like the riddle of the Sphinx, while you are learning, and again when your abilities and faculties are starting to fail, it's the time to make changes or tweeks, at the pinnacle of prowess, you are one with your equipment, and anything that introduces variants, are generally not a good thing. 

On 4/26/2021 at 11:51 AM, MIbassyaker said:

If you're catching, what's the problem?

Here's your answer. If your catching fish consistently, then your not in a rut. I sometimes use the same 2 or 3 baits for weeks on end because that's what's working.

I like to take advantage of a hot bite to experiment, learn new techniques, or improve my skill at a techniques that I am not skilled at.  Hopefully building confidence so, I can some day add them to the list of favorites.  When the bite is slow, I will stick with a few confidence baits.  Choosing a lure that will fish the depth, and cover I feel the fish are at, as well as the speed, size and color I think they want.